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Chapter 17 Evidence of Evolution
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Objectives Be able to cite what biologist generally accept as evidence that supports evolution. Explain how fossils, comparative morphology, patterns of development, and comparative biochemistry are used to reconstruct the past. Explain Darwin’s views on evolution Define natural selection.
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We have dated Asteroid impacts on Earth that correspond to mass extinctions (dinosaurs) Knowing what an asteroid impact will do to us allows us to figure out how impacts affected life in the past The rise of modern humans has been documented from numerous fossils. 17.0 : Measuring Time
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17.1 Selective Breeding & Evolution Evolution is genetic change in a line of descent through successive generations Selective breeding practices yield evidence that heritable changes do occur
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Evolutionary Theories Widely used to interpret the past and present, and even to predict the future Reveal connections between the geological record, fossil record, and organism diversity
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Early Scientific Theories Hippocrates - All aspects of nature can be traced to their underlying causes Aristotle - Each organism is distinct from all the rest and nature is a continuum or organization
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Confounding Evidence Biogeography Comparative anatomy Geologic discoveries
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Biogeography Size of the known world expanded enormously in the 15th century Discovery of new organisms in previously unknown places could not be explained by accepted beliefs How did species get from center of creation to all these places? How did species get from center of creation to all these places?
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Comparative Morphology Study of similarities and differences in body plans of major groups Puzzling patterns: Animals as different as whales and bats have similar bones in forelimbs Animals as different as whales and bats have similar bones in forelimbs Some parts seem to have no function Some parts seem to have no function
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Comparative Anatomy
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Geological Discoveries Similar rock layers throughout world Certain layers contain fossils Deeper layers contain simpler fossils than shallow layers Some fossils seem to be related to known species
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17.2 19th Century - New Theories Scientists attempt to reconcile evidence of change with traditional belief in a single creation event Two examples Georges Cuvier - multiple catastrophes, leaving fewer species Georges Cuvier - multiple catastrophes, leaving fewer species Jean Lamarck - inheritance of acquired characteristics- the idea that simple forms had changed into more complex ones Jean Lamarck - inheritance of acquired characteristics- the idea that simple forms had changed into more complex ones
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The Theory of Uniformity Lyell’s Principles of Geology He proposed the notion of gradual, Subtle, repetitive processes of change had shaped the Earth Challenged the view that Earth was only 6,000 years old.
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Darwin’s Voyage At age 22, Charles Darwin began a five- year, round-the-world voyage aboard the Beagle In his role as ship’s naturalist, he collected and examined the species that inhabited the regions the ship visited
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Darwin’s Voyage http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cha rles+darwin+hms+beagle+journey&mid=8 E2162F5A654A4D74C9F8E2162F5A654A 4D74C9F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE3 http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cha rles+darwin+hms+beagle+journey&mid=8 E2162F5A654A4D74C9F8E2162F5A654A 4D74C9F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE3 http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cha rles+darwin+hms+beagle+journey&mid=8 E2162F5A654A4D74C9F8E2162F5A654A 4D74C9F&view=detail&FORM=VIRE3 http://www.aboutdarwin.com/ http://www.aboutdarwin.com/
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17.3 Galapagos Finches Darwin observed finches with a variety of lifestyles and body forms On his return, he learned that there were 13 species He attempted to correlate variations in their traits with environmental challenges
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Malthus - Struggle to Survive Thomas Malthus, a clergyman and economist, wrote essay that Darwin read on his return to England Argued that as population size increases, resources dwindle, the struggle to live intensifies, and conflict increases
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Darwin’s Theory A population can change over time when individuals differ in one or more heritable traits that are responsible for differences in the ability to survive and reproduce.
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Natural Selection The major points of Darwin’s theory of natural selection were published in 1859. A difference in the survival and reproductive success of different phenotypes Acts directly on phenotypes and indirectly on genotypes
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Reproductive Capacity & Competition Reproductive Capacity & Competition All populations have the capacity to increase in numbers No population can increase indefinitely Eventually the individuals of a population will end up competing for resources
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Variation in Populations All individuals have the same genes that specify the same assortment of traits Most genes occur in different forms (alleles) that produce different phenotypes Some phenotypes compete better than others
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Change over Time Over time, the alleles that produce the most successful phenotypes will increase in the population Less successful alleles will become less common Change leads to increased fitness Increased adaptation to environment Increased adaptation to environment
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Alfred Wallace Naturalist who arrived at the same conclusions Darwin did Wrote to Darwin describing his views Prompted Darwin to finally present his ideas in a formal paper
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17.4 Fossils Fossils are recognizable evidence of ancient life What do fossils tell us? Each species is a mosaic of ancestral and novel traits Each species is a mosaic of ancestral and novel traits All species that ever evolved are related to one another by way of descent All species that ever evolved are related to one another by way of descent
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Stratification Fossils are found in sedimentary rock This type of rock is formed in layers In general, layers closest to the top were formed most recently Most fossils are skeletons, shells, leaves, seeds, imprints of leaves.
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Fossilization – slow process Organism becomes buried in ash or sediments Organic remains become infused with metal and mineral ions Fig.19.6, p. 309
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Section 17.5: Radiometric Dating Carbon 14 Dating – Radiometric Dating Because of the decay of the isotopes is constant, the rate (half-life) can be determined, and the time since its formation can be calculated back in time. See Geologic Time Scale
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Record Is Incomplete Fossils have been found for about 250,000 species Most species weren’t preserved Record is biased toward the most accessible regions
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17.6 Drifting Continents 17.6 Drifting Continents Idea that the continents were once joined and have since “drifted” apart Initially based on the shapes of changing land masses. Wegener refined the hypothesis and named the theoretical supercontinent Pangea
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Evidence of Movement Wegener cited evidence from glacial deposits and fossils Magnetic orientations in ancient rocks do not align with the magnetic poles Discovery of seafloor spreading provided a possible mechanism
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Plate Tectonics Earth’s crust is fractured into plates Movement of plates driven by upwelling of molten rock Pacific plate Nazca plate North American plate South American plate Eurasian plate African plate Somali plate Pacific plate Indo- Australian plate Antarctic plate
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17.7 Comparative Morphology 17.7 Comparative Morphology Comparing body forms and structures of major lineages Guiding principle: When it comes to introducing change in morphology, evolution tends to follow the path of least resistance When it comes to introducing change in morphology, evolution tends to follow the path of least resistance
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Morphological divergence In morphological divergence, features have departed in appearance and/or function from the ancestral form. These are body features that resemble one another in form due to descent through common ancestors. Ex. Similarity in bones in forelimbs.
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Morphological Convergence Morphological convergence is when individuals of different lineages evolve in similar ways under similar environmental pressures Produces analogous structures that serve similar functions
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Comparative Development Comparative Development Each animal or plant proceeds through a series of changes in form Similarities in these stages may be clues to evolutionary relationships Mutations that disrupt a key stage of development are selected against
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17.8 Altering Developmental Programs Some mutations shift a step in a way that natural selection favors Small changes at key steps may bring about major differences Insertion of transposons or gene mutations
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Similar Vertebrate Embryos Alterations that disrupted early development have been selected against FISHREPTILEBIRDMAMMAL
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Developmental Changes Changes in the onset, rate, or time of completion of development steps can cause allometric changes Adult forms that retain juvenile features
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17.9 Comparative Biochemistry 17.9 Comparative Biochemistry Kinds and numbers of biochemical traits that species share is a clue to how closely they are related We can compare DNA, RNA, or proteins More similarity means species are more closely related
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Comparing Proteins Compare amino acid sequence of proteins produced by the same gene Human cytochrome c (a protein) Identical amino acids in chimpanzee protein Identical amino acids in chimpanzee protein Chicken protein differs by 18 amino acids Chicken protein differs by 18 amino acids Yeast protein differs by 56 Yeast protein differs by 56
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Nucleic Acid Comparison The degree of similarity of nucleotide sequences of DNA reveals information about evolutionary relationships.
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Molecular Clock Assumption: “Ticks” (neutral mutations) occur at a constant rate These mutations accumulate in the DNA and can be used as a “molecular clock” for dating times of divergence in species.
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Review of evolution http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
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